Garden of Eden Read Online Free Page B

picture of Madame?" "Not
about the marriage. Criticisms of a book by Monsieur."
"Magnificent," said the waiter who was deeply moved. "Is Madame
also a writer?" "No," the girl said not looking up from the
clippings. "Madame is a housewife." The waiter laughed proudly.
"Madame is probably in the cinema." They both read clippings and then
the girl put the one she was reading down and said, "I'm frightened by
them and all the things they say. How can we be us and have the things we have
and do what we do and you be this that's in the clippings?" "I've had
them before," the young man said. "They're bad for you but it doesn't
last." "They're terrible," she said. "They could destroy
you if you thought about them or believed them. You don't think I married you
because you are what they say you are in these clippings do you?"
"No. I want to read them and then we'll seal them up in the envelope."
"I know you have to read them. I don't want to be stupid about them. But
even in an envelope it's awful to have them with us. It's like bringing along
somebody's ashes in a jar."
     
    "Plenty
of people would be happy if their damned husbands had good reviews."
     
    "I'm
not plenty of people and you're not my damned husband. Please let's not
fight."
     
    "We
won't. You read them and if there's anything good you tell me and if they say
anything about the book that's intelligent that we don't know you tell me. The
book's made some money already," he told her.
     
    "That's
wonderful. I'm so glad. But we know it's good. If the reviews had said it was
worthless and it never made a cent I would have been just as proud and just as
happy."
     
    I
wouldn't, the young man thought. But he did not say it. He went on reading the
reviews, unfolding them and folding them up again and putting them back in the
envelope. The girl sat opening envelopes and reading her letters without
interest. Then she looked out of the cafe at the sea. Her face was a dark gold
brown and she had brushed her hair straight back from her forehead the way the
sea had pulled it when she had come out of the water and where it was cropped
close and on her cheeks the sun had burned it to white gold against the brown
of her skin. She looked out at the sea and her eyes were very sad. Then she
went back to opening letters. There was one long typewritten one that she read
with concentration. Then she went on opening and reading the other letters. The
young man looked at her and thought she looked a little as though she were
shelling peas.
     
    "What
was in the letters?" the young man asked.
     
    "There
were checks in some."
     
    "Big
ones?"
     
    "Two."
     
    "That's
fine," he said.
     
    "Don't
go away like that. You always said it never made any difference."
     
    "Have
I said anything?"
     
    "No.
You just went away.
     
    "I'm
sorry," he said. "How big are they?"
     
    "Not
much really. But good for us. They've been deposited. It's because I'm married.
I told you it was the best thing for us to be married. I know it doesn't mean
anything as capital but this is spendable. We can spend it and it doesn't hurt
anybody and it's for that. It doesn't have anything to do with regular income
nor what I get if I live to be twenty-five or if I ever live to be thirty. This
is ours for anything we want to do. Neither of us will have to worry about
balances for a while. It's that simple."
     
    "The
book has paid back the advance and made about a thousand dollars," he
said.
     
    "Isn't
that awfully good when it's only just come out?"
     
    "It's
all right. Should we have another one of these?" he asked.
     
    "Let's
drink something else."
     
    "How
much vermouth did you drink?"
     
    "Only
the one. I must say it was dull."
     
    "I
drank two and didn't even taste them."
     
    "What
is there that's real?" she said.
     
    "Did
you ever drink Armagnac and soda? That's real enough."
     
    "Good.
Let's try that."
     
    The
waiter brought the Armagnac and the young man told him to bring a cold bottle
of Perrier water